Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and has an enormous influence on world trends, and tourist destinations and local communities that play the role of hosts, face numerous challenges arising from the development of tourism. The primary goal of this paper is to investigate the impact that tourism development has on the quality of life of the local community of a certain destination, in this case the city of Šibenik. The background of the research is presented in the literature review, i.e. key terms important for understanding the further discussion are explained, focusing on the attitudes of the Šibenik community about certain economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts of tourism, as well as components of quality of life according to the Theory of Social Exchange. In the chapter related to empirical research, the results of the questionnaire are presented, indicating different perceptions of the impacts of tourism depending on the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. Research hypotheses were tested and certain conclusions were reached that can indicate other researchers and relevant tourism stakeholders the desired direction of the future tourism development and the degree of involvement of the local community in the preparation and implementation of tourism projects. This work aims to emphasize the importance of examining the attitudes of the local community as an important tool for the integral development of tourism and the long-term sustainability of the tourist destination.